I have had thin soft stools for some time now. They are not always really thin, sometimes they are about an inch round but sometimes they are pencil thin. Can soft stools come out thin just because they are being pressed by your anus? I seem healthy and haven't had bleeding. No gas,bloating or pain either. I eat very healthy, a lot of fruit and veggies. High fiber cereals and drink lots of fluid. The stool color is usually light brown. It seems to sink in a big lump to the bottom of the toilet most of the time. Also, when the stool comes out it is thicker than the last of it coming out. Sorry to be so graphic but I am concerned that I never have a large formed bm anymore. No history of colon cancer in my family but my mom had non-cancerous polyps removed last year at 72. Should I be worried. I asked my ob/gyn and he didn't seem concerned.
Thin,ribbonlike,or flattened stools are usually the sign of an obstruction like a polyp that narrows down the elimination pathway.It can also be a sign of IBS or spastic colon.
Hope this helps.
I have the same symptoms also. I had a flexible sigmuedscopy to determine if there was a problem because I felt my stool was a lot of the time thin and light brown color. Apparently the result was that there was some type of obstruction in my colon but I haven't had that obstruction observed yet. One doctor said I may have hemorrhoids but another ruled that out. I drink metamucil when I feel bloaded and that seems to work. I get this way about once a month being a female maybe there's an obvious reason why. Exercise and walking seem to help as well. Keep informed with any progress as I will too.
thanks for the reply...
weel...finnally got the nerves to go to the doctor. he did a flexible Sigmoscopy also...and did not find anything wrong. he said that my stools are thin and soft or loose because of a Irritable colon...wish I think means Irritable Bowel Syndrome...which is not serious. he checked 3/4 of my colon.
he just told me it was a good idea to do the test again every 5 years.
I told the doctor I get scared during any procedure so he decided to go Heavy on the sedatives...I just went to sleep.
By reading a lot of these boards ive realized a lot of people are scared like me of the colonscopy and sigmoscopy test,....well just tell the doc to give you plenty of sedatives....and believe me it will knocked you out and you wake up when its over.
thanks for the reply...
weel...finnally got the nerves to go to the doctor. he did a flexible Sigmoscopy also...and did not find anything wrong. he said that my stools are thin and soft or loose because of a Irritable colon...wish I think means Irritable Bowel Syndrome...which is not serious. he checked 3/4 of my colon.
he just told me it was a good idea to do the test again every 5 years.
I told the doctor I get scared during any procedure so he decided to go Heavy on the sedatives...I just went to sleep.
By reading a lot of these boards ive realized a lot of people are scared like me of the colonscopy and sigmoscopy test,....well just tell the doc to give you plenty of sedatives....and believe me it will knocked you out and you wake up when its over.
Coyote:
Are you sure you don't mean colonoscopy... it is very unlikely that a doctor visualized 3/4 of your colon with a sigmoidoscope. They call it a sigmoidoscope because it is limited to scoping the sigmoid region of your colon... which is towards the end closest to your anus. It does NOT visualize your descending colon, transverse colon, ascending colon, or cecum. Only a colonoscopy does that. You mention that they sedated you up pretty good, which they typically can't/don't do for a sigmoidoscopy. So, I'm guessing that it's probably a colonoscopy.
I'm glad everything worked out ok. IBS can usually be managed by medication and diet. Good Luck!
~CancerDad
thin stools 
